Improvement in wagon-brake levers



UNITED STATS PATENT OFFICE.

FOUL THOMSEN, OF ATGHISON,KANSAS.V

IMPROVEMENT IN WAGON-BRAKE LEVERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 192,032, dated June 1Q, 1877; application filed April 21, 1877.

To all whom It may concern.-

Be it .known that I, POUL THOMSEN, of Atchison, in the county of Atchison and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brakes for Sleighs and Vehicles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptien thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referi (the plate which covers the pawl-box having been removed.) Fig. 2 is a view of the side opposite to that represented in the preceding figure; and Fig. 3 is a top plan.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A is a segmental ratchet, and B is the brakelever. C is the pawl-box, which is pivoted at a upon the side ot' lever B, and contains a pawl, b, and a spring, c. The latter is secured upon a block for piece, d, in the back of pawlboX G, its end projecting into the segmental notch b in pawl b, as shown, so as to work against either of the two shoulders, e or e', of pawl b. D is a rod or chain, which is secured,

i in any suitable manner, to the upper end of pawl-box O, and passes to the brake, (not shown in the drawing.)

Secured upon the backplate of box O are two lugs,fand g one of which,f, prevents, by abutting against lever B, the pawl-box from tilting too far forward, while the other, g, by abutting against the other side ol' the lever, prevents box U from tilting too far on the opposite side. Between these two lugs the box has free play to oscillate. When the lever B is grasped by the hand of the driver, box O will be in a position liush with the lever; that is, lng g lying close up against the lever, as represented in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

By this construction and arrangement of parts, pawl b will present a rigid resistance against the notches in ratchet A, thereby preventing the lever from swinging back of its own accord and keeping the brakes on after the driver, having applied the brakes, removes his hand from the lever. Butwhen, to let off the brakes, he pushes back on lever B, in the direction of the arrow, the pivoted box O will permit pawl b to turn back, as-indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. l, so as to allow it to ride over the notches, and permit lever B to swing` clear back. Thesegmental notch b in .pawl b allows the latter play enough t'or this purpose.

Having thus described my in vention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- The combination ot' the segmental ratchet A, brake-lever B and swinging pawl-box C, the latter having lugs j' g, pawl b, and operatingspring c, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afxed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

POUL THOMSEN. 

